Charging device

ABSTRACT

Provided is a charging device for charging a wireless manual cleaner and a robot cleaner. The charging device includes a first charger comprising a first charging terminal connected to a charging terminal of the manual cleaner, and a first transceiver configured to transmit and receive information to and from the manual cleaner; a second charger comprising a second charging terminal connected to a charging terminal of the robot cleaner, and a second transceiver configured to transmit and receive information to and from the robot cleaner; and a communication line configured to electrically connect the first transceiver and the second transceiver to each other.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/800,165, filed Feb. 25, 2020, which claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Application No. 10-2019-0163457filed on Dec. 10, 2019, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present discloser relates to a charging device. More particularly,the present discloser relates to a charging device for charging awirelessly operating robot cleaner and a handy cleaner.

2. Background

Generally, a robot cleaner is charged by a charging device, and thenperforms cleaning while moving wirelessly. Such a robot cleaner cleans aset region while itself avoiding an obstruction by a set function, orcleans the set region while moving along the set region in response to areceived cleaning signal.

Further, a handy cleaner is configured to be grippable, and performscleaning by a user's manipulation while being gripped by the user afterbeing charged by the charging device. Since the robot cleaner cannotoptionally clean a desired place, each home is furnished with the handycleaner as well as the robot cleaner. The robot cleaner and the handycleaner are charged as respective charging terminals thereof areconnected to charging terminals of the charging device. The handycleaner may be classified into a wired handy cleaner and a wirelesshandy cleaner.

Referring to FIG. 1, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1192540 disclosesa charging device 1 to which a wireless handy cleaner 3 and a robotcleaner 2 are connected. The charging device 1 may receive chargingpower via a single electric wire to simultaneously charge the wirelesshandy cleaner 3 and the robot cleaner 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0657736 disclosesa technique wherein a robot cleaner 2 is connected to a charging device5 disposed on a wired handy cleaner 4. The wired handy cleaner 4 and therobot cleaner 2 connected to the charging device 5 may be simultaneouslycharged by charging power inputted via a single electric wire. However,the conventional charging devices 1 and 5 are problematic in that theyare used only for the purpose of providing a charging function to thehandy cleaners 3 and 4, and the robot cleaner 2.

The above references are incorporated by reference herein whereappropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternativedetails, features and/or technical background.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to thefollowing drawings in which like reference numerals refer to likeelements wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of conventional charging systems.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a charging system according to anembodiment of the present discloser.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a charging device according to anembodiment of the present discloser.

FIGS. 5 to 8 are block diagrams of the charging device according to theembodiment of the present discloser.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a robotcleaner according to an embodiment of the present discloser.

FIGS. 11 to 14 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of acharging device according to an embodiment of the present discloser.

FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram of the charging system according to theembodiment of the present discloser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a charging system according to anembodiment of the present discloser. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of acharging device according to an embodiment of the present discloser.FIGS. 5 to 8 are block diagrams of the charging device according to theembodiment of the present discloser. FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowchartsillustrating a control method of a robot cleaner according to anembodiment of the present discloser. FIGS. 11 to 14 are flowchartsillustrating a control method of a charging device according to anembodiment of the present discloser. FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram ofthe charging system according to the embodiment of the presentdiscloser.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 15, the charging system according to theembodiment of the present discloser may include a charging device 10, ahandy cleaner (or manual cleaner) 20, a robot cleaner 30, and a server800. The charging system may be implemented without some of the abovecomponents, and other additional configurations are not excluded.

A charging terminal of the handy cleaner 20 and a charging terminal ofthe robot cleaner 30 may be connected to the charging device 10.Thereby, a battery of the handy cleaner 20 and a battery of the robotcleaner 30 may be simultaneously charged.

The charging device 10 may be connected to a server 800 to wirelesslyreceive a control instruction, and then may transmit the controlinstruction to the handy cleaner 20 and the robot cleaner 30. Here, thecharging device 10 may wirelessly receive the control instruction from aremote controller. The remote controller may include all devices capableof implementing various functions using an application program such as acellphone (PCS phone), a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant(PDA), a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a laptop computer, a digitalbroadcasting terminal, a netbook, a tablet, and navigation. Furthermore,the remote controller may be a simple type of remote controller usinginfrared Data Association (IrDA).

The charging device 10 may transmit and receive a wireless communicationsignal with the server 800 and/or the robot cleaner 30 using variousmethods such as Radio Frequency (RF), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi),Bluetooth, Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), and Ultra-Wide Band(UWB) communication.

The handy cleaner 20 may be connected to the charging device 10 to besupplied with power. The handy cleaner 20 may include a chargingterminal electrically connected to a first charging terminal 110 of thecharging device 10. The handy cleaner 20 may include a transceiver thattransmits and receives information to and from a first transceiver 120of the charging device 10. The handy cleaner 20 may include arechargeable battery (not shown). The handy cleaner 20 may performcleaning by a user's manipulation while being gripped by the user. In anembodiment of the present discloser, the handy cleaner 20 is describedwith a wireless handy cleaner as an example, but a wired handy cleaneris not excluded.

The robot cleaner 30 may be connected to the charging device 10 to besupplied with power. The robot cleaner 30 may include a chargingterminal electrically connected to a second charging terminal 210 of thecharging device 10. The robot cleaner 30 may include a transceiver thattransmits and receives information to and from a second transceiver 220of the charging device 10. The robot cleaner 30 may include arechargeable battery (not shown).

The robot cleaner 30 may clean a set region while itself avoiding anobstruction by a set function. The robot cleaner 30 may be connected tothe server 800 and clean while moving along the set region in responseto a received cleaning signal. The robot cleaner 30 may include anobstruction sensor that may sense the obstruction while driving. Therobot cleaner 30 may recognize its position without advance informationon surrounding environment through a sensor unit, and may perform theprocess of localization and map-building, that is, Visual SLAM, whichbuilds a map from the information on the environment.

The robot cleaner 30 may be directly connected to the server 800 towirelessly receive a control instruction. Here, the robot cleaner 30 maywirelessly receive the control instruction from the remote controller.The remote controller may include all devices capable of implementingvarious functions using an application program such as a cellphone (PCSphone), a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a PortableMultimedia Player (PMP), a laptop computer, a digital broadcastingterminal, a netbook, a tablet, and navigation. Furthermore, the remotecontroller may be a simple type of remote controller using infrared DataAssociation (IrDA).

The robot cleaner 30 may transmit and receive a wireless communicationsignal with the server 800 and/or the charging device 10 using variousmethods such as Radio Frequency (RF), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi),Bluetooth, Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), and Ultra-Wide Band(UWB) communication.

The server 800 may be connected to the charging device 10 and/or therobot cleaner 30 to communicate therewith. The server 800 may serve toreceive and store information on a moving space from the robot cleaner30. Furthermore, on the basis of the received information on the movingspace, driving information on the moving space where the robot cleaner30 moves may be generated by deep-learning. The generated informationmay be transmitted to the robot cleaner 30.

The server 800 may generate driving information by deep-learning usingthe information on the moving space received from the robot cleaner 30,and simultaneously may generate driving information by deep-learning onthe basis of driving-simulation information. The more learning data is,the more accurate the deep-learning is. Thus, the server 800 may beconnected to the robot cleaner 30 via a network, and may collect datarequired for the deep-learning.

The server 800 may include a cloud server. The cloud server means avirtual private server, and is a form of virtualization that divides onephysical server into several virtual servers.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 15, the charging device 10 according to theembodiment of the present discloser may include a first charger 100, asecond charger 200, a communication line 300, a processor 400, areceiver 500, a display device 600, and a speaker 700. The chargingdevice may be implemented without some of the above components, andother additional configurations are not excluded.

The charging device 10 may include the first charger 100. The firstcharger 100 may charge the wireless handy cleaner 20. The first charger100 may hold or support the handy cleaner 20. The first charger 100 maytransmit or receive information to or from the handy cleaner 20. Thefirst charger 100 may be formed as a member separately from the secondcharger 200 and then coupled thereto. Alternatively, the first charger100 and the second charger 200 may be integrally formed. In theembodiment of the present discloser, the first charger 100 is disposedabove the second charger 200. However, the arrangement of the firstcharger 100 and the second charger 200 may be variously changed.

The first charger 100 may include the first charging terminal 110. Thefirst charging terminal 110 may be connected to the charging terminal ofthe handy cleaner 20. The first charging terminal 110 may beelectrically connected to the charging terminal of the handy cleaner 20.

The first charger 100 may include the first transceiver 120. The firsttransceiver 120 may transmit and receive information to and from thehandy cleaner 20 wirelessly and/or by wires. The first transceiver 120may transmit and receive information to and from the transceiving unitof the handy cleaner 20 wirelessly and/or by wires. The firsttransceiver 120 may transmit and receive a wireless communication signalwith a transceiving unit of the handy cleaner 20 using various methodssuch as Radio Frequency (RF), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth,Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)communication.

The first transceiver 120 may receive from the handy cleaner 20information about whether the handy cleaner 20 is separated from thefirst charger 100 or the separated handy cleaner 20 is electricallyconnected to the first charger 100. The first transceiver 120 mayreceive the position information of the handy cleaner 20 from the handycleaner 20. The first transceiver 120 may receive the device informationof the handy cleaner 20 from the handy cleaner 20. The first transceiver120 may receive the cleaning-pattern information of the handy cleaner 20from the handy cleaner 20.

The first transceiver 120 may transmit information about whether thehandy cleaner 20 is separated from the first charger 100 to theprocessor 400. The first transceiver 120 may transmit information aboutwhether the separated handy cleaner 20 is electrically connected to thefirst charger 100 to the processor 400. The first transceiver 120 maytransmit information about whether the separated handy cleaner 20 isheld or supported on the first charger 100 to the processor 400. Thefirst transceiver 120 may transmit the position information of the handycleaner 20 to the processor 400. The first transceiver 120 may transmitthe device information of the handy cleaner 20 to the processor 400. Thefirst transceiver 120 may transmit the cleaning-pattern information ofthe handy cleaner 20 to the processor 400.

The charging device 10 may include the second charger 200. The secondcharger 200 may charge the wireless robot cleaner 30. The robot cleaner30 may be docked on the second charger 200. The second charger 200 maytransmit and receive information to and from the robot cleaner 30.

The second charger 200 may include the second charging terminal 210. Thesecond charging terminal 210 may be connected to the charging terminalof the robot cleaner 30. The second charging terminal 210 may beelectrically connected to the charging terminal of the robot cleaner 30.

The second charger 200 may include the second transceiver 220. Thesecond transceiver 220 may transmit and receive information to and fromthe robot cleaner 30 wirelessly and/or by wires. The second transceiver220 may transmit and receive information to and from the transceivingunit of the robot cleaner 30 wirelessly and/or by wires. The secondtransceiver 220 may transmit and receive a wireless communication signalwith a transceiving unit of the robot cleaner 30 using various methodssuch as Radio Frequency (RF), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth,Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), and Ultra-Wide Band (UWB)communication.

The second transceiver 220 may transmit an actuation signal to the robotcleaner 30. The second transceiver 220 may transmit a return signal tothe robot cleaner 30 that is being operated. The second transceiver 220may receive the position information of the robot cleaner 30 from therobot cleaner 30. The second transceiver 220 may receive the deviceinformation on the robot cleaner 30 from the robot cleaner 30. Thesecond transceiver 220 may receive the cleaning-pattern information ofthe robot cleaner 30 from the robot cleaner 30.

The second transceiver 220 may receive the actuation signal of the robotcleaner 30 from the processor 400. The second transceiver 220 mayreceive the return signal of the robot cleaner 30 from the processor400. The second transceiver 220 may transmit the position information ofthe robot cleaner 30 to the processor 400. The second transceiver 220may transmit the device information of the robot cleaner 30 to theprocessor 400. The second transceiver 220 may transmit thecleaning-pattern information of the robot cleaner 30 to the processor400.

The charging device 10 may include the communication line 300. Thecommunication line 300 may connect the first charger 100 and the secondcharger 200 to allow them to communicate with each other. Thecommunication line 300 may electrically connect the first charger 100 tothe second charger 200. The communication line 300 may connect the firsttransceiver 120 and the second transceiver 220 to allow them tocommunicate with each other. The communication line 300 may electricallyconnect the first transceiver 120 of the first charger 100 to the secondtransceiver 220 of the second charger 200. Therefore, the chargingdevice 10 may not only charge the handy cleaner 20 and the robot cleaner30 simultaneously but also transmit and receive information to and fromthe handy cleaner 20 and the robot cleaner 30. In one example, thecommunication line 300 may wirelessly connect the first charger 100 andthe second charger 200, such as to connect the first charger 100 and thesecond charger 200 via Bluetooth® or other radio signals.

The communication line 300 may be electrically connected to theprocessor 400. The communication line 300 may be connected to theprocessor 400 to communicate therewith. The communication line 300 maybe a general communication line including a copper wire. However, thecommunication line may be variously changed without being limitedthereto.

The charging device 10 may include the processor 400. The processor 400may be electrically connected to the communication line 300. Theprocessor 400 may be connected to the communication line 300 tocommunicate therewith. The processor 400 may be connected via thecommunication line 300 to the first charger 100 and the second charger200 to communicate therewith.

The processor 400 may receive, from the first transceiver 120,information about whether the handy cleaner 20 is separated from thefirst charger 100. The processor 400 may receive, from the firsttransceiver 120, information about whether the handy cleaner 20 is heldor supported on the first charger 100. The processor 400 may receive,from the first transceiver 120, information about whether the handycleaner 20 is electrically connected to the first charger 100. Theprocessor 400 may receive the position information of the handy cleaner20 from the first transceiver 120. The processor 400 may receive thedevice information of the handy cleaner 20 from the first transceiver120. The processor 400 may receive the cleaning-pattern information ofthe handy cleaner 20 from the first transceiver 120. The processor 400may transmit a charging instruction for the handy cleaner 20 to thefirst transceiver 120. In this case, the processor 400 may transmit apriority charging instruction for the handy cleaner 20 to the firsttransceiver 120.

The processor 400 may transmit the actuation signal of the robot cleaner30 to the second transceiver 220. The processor 400 may transmit thereturn signal of the robot cleaner 30 to the second transceiver 220. Theprocessor 400 may receive the position information of the robot cleaner30 from the second transceiver 220. The processor 400 may receive thedevice information of the robot cleaner 30 from the second transceiver220. The processor 400 may receive the cleaning-pattern information ofthe robot cleaner 30 from the second transceiver 220. The processor 400may transmit the charging instruction for the robot cleaner 20 to thesecond transceiver 220.

The processor 400 may analyze the complex pattern (e.g., informationidentifying respective cleaning operations and locations where thecleaning operations are performed) of the handy cleaner 20 and the robotcleaner 30 through the cleaning pattern of the handy cleaner 20 and thecleaning pattern of the robot cleaner 30. The processor 400 may providecleaning information to a user according to the analyzed complex patternof the handy cleaner 20 and the robot cleaner 30. In this case, theprocessor 400 may provide the cleaning information to the user throughthe display device 600 or the speaker 700. Furthermore, the processor400 may provide the device information to the user through the displaydevice 600 or the speaker 700.

According to an embodiment of the present discloser, the deviceinformation may include at least one of filter-changing-cycleinformation of the handy cleaner 20, filter-changing-cycle informationof the robot cleaner 30, remaining-battery-power information of thehandy cleaner 20, remaining-battery-power information of the robotcleaner 30, dust-canister information of the handy cleaner 20,dust-canister information of the robot cleaner 30,battery-replacement-cycle information of the handy cleaner 20, andbattery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner 30.

According to an embodiment of the present discloser, the cleaninginformation may include at least one of actuation-time information ofthe handy cleaner 20, actuation-time information of the robot cleaner30, information on time elapsing from a previous actuation time of thehandy cleaner 20, information on time elapsing from a previous actuationtime of the robot cleaner 30, information on a recently cleaned region,and information on a recently uncleaned region.

The charging device 10 may include the receiver 500. The receiver 500may receive a signal from a user. The receiver 500 may be connected tothe server 800 to communicate therewith. The receiver 500 may beconnected to the remote controller to communicate therewith. Thereceiver 500 may transmit the signal received from the user to theprocessor 400. The receiver 500 may be connected to the processor 400 bywires or wirelessly. The receiver 500 may be connected to the processor400 to communicate therewith.

The receiver 500 may include a touch screen panel (TSP) that maydirectly receive a signal from the user. The touch screen panel mayinclude a display that displays information inputted by the user, atouch panel that detects a coordinate with which a part of the user'sbody comes into contact, and a touch screen controller that determinesan instruction inputted by the user on the basis of the contactcoordinate detected by the touch panel.

The receiver 500 may include an input button that may receive a signaldirectly from a user. The input button may adopt a push switch thatsenses a user's pressing, a membrane switch, or a touch switch thatsenses the contact of a part of the user's body.

The charging device 10 may include the display device 600. The displaydevice 600 may be connected to the processor 400 to communicatetherewith. The display device 600 may be connected to the processor 400by wires or wirelessly. The display device 600 may visually provide thedevice information or the cleaning information provided from theprocessor 400 to the user. The display may adopt a light emitting diode(LED) emitting light by itself, an organic light emitting diode (OLED),a liquid crystal display having a separate source, and others. Accordingto an embodiment of the present discloser, an example where the displaydevice 600 is disposed on the charging device 10 will be described.However, the display device may be disposed on the robot cleaner 30, ormay be disposed only on the robot cleaner 30 without being disposed onthe charging device 10.

The charging device 10 may include the speaker 700. The speaker 700 maybe connected to the processor 400 to communicate therewith. The speaker700 may be connected to the processor 400 by wires or wirelessly. Thespeaker 700 may acoustically provide the device information or thecleaning information provided from the processor 400 to the user.According to an embodiment of the present discloser, an example wherethe speaker 700 is disposed on the charging device 10 will be described.However, the speaker may be disposed on the robot cleaner 30, or may bedisposed only on the robot cleaner 30 without being disposed on thecharging device 10.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 6 and 15, a charging device 10 according toanother embodiment of the present discloser may include a first charger100, a second charger 200, a communication line 300, a processor 400, areceiver 500, a display device 600, and a speaker 700. However, thecharging device may be implemented without some of the above components,and other additional configurations are not excluded.

It is to be understood that the detailed configuration of the chargingdevice 10 according to another embodiment of the present discloser thatwill not be described below is the same as the detailed configuration ofthe charging device 10 according to the preceding embodiment of thepresent discloser.

Referring to FIG. 6, the communication line 300 may be connected to thefirst charger 100 and the second charger 200 to communicate therewith,and may not be connected to the processor 400 to communicate therewith.The communication line 300 may be electrically connected to the firstcharger 100 and the second charger 200, and may not be electricallyconnected to the processor 400.

Here, the processor 400 may be directly connected to the first charger100 and the second charger 200 to communicate therewith. The processor400 may be directly electrically connected to the first charger 100 andthe second charger 200. The processor 400 may directly transmit andreceive information to and from the first transceiver 120. The processor400 may directly transmit and receive information to and from the secondtransceiver 220.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 7 and 15, a charging device 10 according to afurther embodiment of the present discloser may include a first charger100, a second charger 200, a communication line 300, a processor 400, areceiver 500, a display device 600, and a speaker 700. However, thecharging device may be implemented without some of the above components,and other additional configurations are not excluded.

It is to be understood that the detailed configuration of the chargingdevice 10 according to a further embodiment of the present discloserthat will not be described below is the same as the detailedconfiguration of the charging device 10 according to the precedingembodiment of the present discloser.

Referring to FIG. 7, the first charger 100 may include a first chargingterminal 110 and a detector (or sensor) 130. The detector 130 may detectwhether the handy cleaner 20 is separated from the first charger 100.The detector 130 may detect whether the handy cleaner 20 returns to thefirst charger 200. The detector 130 may detect whether the handy cleaner20 is supported or held on the first charger 200. The detector 130 maydetect whether the handy cleaner 20 is electrically connected to thefirst charger 200.

The detector 130 may be electrically connected to the communication line300. The detector 130 may be connected via the communication line 300 tothe processor 400 to communicate therewith. The detector 130 maytransmit information about whether the handy cleaner 20 is separatedfrom the first charger 100 to the processor 400. The detector 130 maytransmit information about whether the handy cleaner 20 returns to thefirst charger 100 to the processor 400. The detector 130 may transmitinformation about whether the handy cleaner 20 is held or supported onthe first charger 100 to the processor 400. The detector 130 maytransmit information about whether the handy cleaner 20 is electricallyconnected to the first charger 200 to the processor 400.

The processor 400 may be connected via the communication line 300 to thedetector 130 to communicate therewith. The processor 400 may receive,from the detector 130, information whether the handy cleaner 20 isseparated from the first charger 100. The processor 400 may receive,from the detector 130, information whether the handy cleaner 20 returnsto the first charger 100. The processor 400 may receive, from thedetector 130, information whether the handy cleaner 20 is held orsupported on the first charger 100. The processor 400 may receive, fromthe detector 130, information whether the handy cleaner 20 iselectrically connected to the first charger 200.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 8 and 15, a charging device 10 according toanother embodiment of the present discloser may include a first charger100, a second charger 200, a communication line 300, a processor 400, areceiver 500, a display device 600, and a speaker 700. However, thecharging device may be implemented without some of the above components,and other additional configurations are not excluded.

It is to be understood that the detailed configuration of the chargingdevice 10 according to another embodiment of the present discloser thatwill not be described below is the same as the detailed configuration ofthe charging device 10 according to the embodiment of the presentdiscloser shown in FIG. 7.

Referring to FIG. 8, the communication line 300 may be connected to thefirst charger 100 and the second charger 200 to communicate therewith,and may not be connected to the processor 400 to communicate therewith.The communication line 300 may be electrically connected to the firstcharger 100 and the second charger 200, and may not be electricallyconnected to the processor 400.

Here, the processor 400 may be directly connected to the first charger100 and the second charger 200 to communicate therewith. The processor400 may be directly electrically connected to the first charger 100 andthe second charger 200. The processor 400 may directly transmit andreceive information to and from the detector 130. The processor 400 maydirectly transmit and receive information to and from the secondtransceiver 220.

A control method of the robot cleaner 30 according to an embodiment ofthe present discloser will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Whenthe handy cleaner 20 is separated from the charging device 10 or thefirst charger 100, the processor 400 may provide an actuation signal tothe robot cleaner 30 at step S110. In this case, the information aboutwhether the handy cleaner 20 is separated from the charging device 10 orthe first charger 100 may be provided through the first transceiver 120or the detector 130 to the processor 400. Furthermore, the actuationsignal for the robot cleaner 30 provided from the processor 400 may beprovided through the second transceiver 220 to the robot cleaner 30.

When the actuation signal is provided to the robot cleaner 30 at stepS110, the robot cleaner 30 may perform an operation at step S120. Thehandy cleaner 20 separated from the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100 may transmit the position information of the handy cleaner20 through the first transceiver 120 to the processor 400 at step S130.

In this case, the processor 400 may provide a first actuation signal tothe robot cleaner 30 at step S112. The processor 400 may supply thefirst actuation signal for the robot cleaner 30 to the secondtransceiver 220, and the second transceiver 220 may provide the firstactuation signal to the robot cleaner 30.

If the first actuation signal is provided, the robot cleaner 30 may beoperated in an area corresponding to the position of the handy cleaner30 at step S122. For example, when a user cleans with the handy cleaner20, the robot cleaner 30 may perform cleaning while following the user.To be more specific, when foreign matter such as dust is sucked by thehandy cleaner 20, the robot cleaner 30 may wipe an area where theforeign matter such as dust has been sucked by the handy cleaner 20.Thereby, cleaning efficiency can be improved and a user's conveniencecan be increased.

If the handy cleaner 20 returns to the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100, the processor 400 may provide a return signal to the robotcleaner 30 at step S140. In this case, the robot cleaner 30 may returnto the charging device 10 or the first charger 100 at step S150.

A control method of the robot cleaner 30 according to an embodiment ofthe present discloser will be described with reference to FIG. 10. Whenthe handy cleaner 20 is separated from the charging device 10 or thefirst charger 100, the processor 400 may provide an actuation signal tothe robot cleaner 30 to actuate the robot cleaner 30 at step S110. Inthis case, the information about whether the handy cleaner 20 isseparated from the charging device 10 or the first charger 100 may beprovided through the first transceiver 120 or the detector 130 to theprocessor 400. Furthermore, the actuation signal for the robot cleaner30 provided from the processor 400 may be provided through the secondtransceiver 220 to the robot cleaner 30.

When the actuation signal is provided to the robot cleaner 30 at stepS110, the robot cleaner 30 may perform an operation at step S120. Thehandy cleaner 20 separated from the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100 may transmit the position information of the handy cleaner20 through the first transceiver 120 to the processor 400 at step S130.

In this case, the processor 400 may provide a second actuation signal tothe robot cleaner 30 at step S114. The processor 400 may supply thesecond actuation signal for the robot cleaner 30 to the secondtransceiver 220, and the second transceiver 220 may provide the secondactuation signal to the robot cleaner 30.

If the second actuation signal is provided, the robot cleaner 30 may beoperated in areas other than the area corresponding to the position ofthe handy cleaner 30 at step S124. For example, when a user cleans withthe handy cleaner 20, the robot cleaner 30 may clean areas other thanthe area cleaned by the user. Thereby, cleaning efficiency can beimproved and a user's convenience can be increased.

If the handy cleaner 20 returns to the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100, the processor 400 may provide a return signal to the robotcleaner 30 at step S140. In this case, the robot cleaner 30 may returnto the charging device 10 or the first charger 100 at step S150.

A control method of the charging device 10 according to an embodiment ofthe present discloser will be described with reference to FIG. 11. Whenthe handy cleaner 20 returns to the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100 at step S210, the handy cleaner 20 may transmit the deviceinformation of the handy cleaner 20 to the processor 400. Here, thehandy cleaner 20 may transmit the device information of the handycleaner 20 through the first transceiver 120 to the processor 400.

When the handy cleaner 20 returns to the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100 at step S210, the processor 400 provides the return signalto the robot cleaner 30. Meanwhile, when the robot cleaner 30 returns toan original position thereof, the robot cleaner 30 may transmit thedevice information of the robot cleaner 30 to the processor 400. Here,the robot cleaner 30 may transmit the device information of the robotcleaner 30 through the second transceiver 220 to the processor 400.

The processor 400 may provide the device information of the handycleaner 20 and/or the device information of the robot cleaner 30 to auser at step S220. Here, the device information of the handy cleaner 20and/or the device information of the robot cleaner 30 may be providedthrough the display device 600 and/or the speaker 700 to the user.

A control method of the charging device 10 according to an embodiment ofthe present discloser will be described with reference to FIG. 12. Whenthe handy cleaner 20 returns to the charging device 10 or the firstcharger 100 at step S210, the processor 400 may determine whether thehandy cleaner 20 and the robot cleaner 30 are incompletely charged atstep S230.

When both the handy cleaner 20 and the robot cleaner 30 are incompletelycharged, the processor 400 may provide the priority charging instructionof the handy cleaner 20 to the first charger 100 at step S240. To bemore specific, the processor 400 may preferentially set the charging ofthe handy cleaner 20 prior to the robot cleaner 30. Therefore, since thebattery of the handy cleaner 20 that is directly gripped by a user whenin use is preferentially charged, the user's convenience can beimproved.

If the handy cleaner 20 is completely charged and the robot cleaner 30is incompletely charged, the processor 400 may perform only the chargingof the robot cleaner 30. If the handy cleaner 20 is incompletely chargedand the robot cleaner 30 is completely charged, the processor 400 mayperform only the charging of the handy cleaner 20.

A control method of the charging device 10 according to an embodiment ofthe present discloser will be described with reference to FIG. 13. Theprocessor 400 may analyze the complex pattern of the handy cleaner 20and the robot cleaner 30 through the cleaning information of the handycleaner 20 and the cleaning information of the robot cleaner 30 at stepS310. The processor 400 may receive the cleaning information of thehandy cleaner 20 from the handy cleaner 20. The processor 400 mayreceive the cleaning information of the handy cleaner 20 through thefirst transceiver 120 from the handy cleaner 20. The processor 400 mayreceive the cleaning information of the robot cleaner 30 from the robotcleaner 30. The processor 400 may receive the cleaning information ofthe robot cleaner 30 through the second transceiver 220 from the robotcleaner 30.

The processor 400 may provide the cleaning information to the useraccording to the analyzed complex pattern at step S320. The processor400 may provide the cleaning information to the user through the displaydevice 600 and/or the speaker 700.

A control method of the charging device 10 according to an embodiment ofthe present discloser will be described with reference to FIG. 14. Ifthe signal is received from the user at step S410, the processor 400 mayprovide the device information of the handy cleaner 20 and/or the robotcleaner 30 to the user at step S420. In this case, the signal from theuser may be provided through the receiver 500. Further, the deviceinformation of the handy cleaner 20 and/or the robot cleaner 30 may beprovided through the display device 600 and/or the speaker 700.Therefore, since the device information of the handy cleaner 20 and/orthe robot cleaner 30 may be provided if desired, the user's conveniencecan be increased.

The present discloser provides a charging device that cannot only chargea handy cleaner and a robot cleaner simultaneously but also can transmitand receive information from and to the handy cleaner and the robotcleaner. In an aspect, a charging device for charging a wireless handycleaner and a robot cleaner may include a first charger including afirst charging terminal connected to a charging terminal of the handycleaner, and a first transceiver configured to transmit and receiveinformation to and from the handy cleaner; a second charger including asecond charging terminal connected to a charging terminal of the robotcleaner, and a second transceiver configured to transmit and receiveinformation to and from the robot cleaner; and a communication lineconfigured to electrically connect the first transceiver and the secondtransceiver to each other.

Therefore, the charging device cannot only charge the handy cleaner andthe robot cleaner simultaneously but also can provide information to thehandy cleaner and the robot cleaner. The charging device may include aprocessor connected electrically to the communication line, wherein theprocessor may supply an actuation signal to the second transceiver so asto actuate the robot cleaner, when the handy cleaner is separated fromthe first charger.

The first transceiver may receive position information from the handycleaner, when the handy cleaner is separated from the first charger, theprocessor may supply a first actuation signal to the second transceiver,and the first actuation signal may cause the robot cleaner to beactuated in an area corresponding to the position information.

The first transceiver may receive position information from the handycleaner, when the handy cleaner is separated from the first charger, theprocessor may supply a second actuation signal to the secondtransceiver, and the second actuation signal may cause the robot cleanerto be actuated in areas other than the area corresponding to theposition information.

The processor may supply a return signal to the second transceiver so asto return the robot cleaner to an original position thereof, when thecharging terminal of the handy cleaner and the first charging terminalare electrically connected to each other.

The processor may provide device information to a user, when thecharging terminal of the handy cleaner and the first charging terminalare electrically connected to each other, and the device information mayinclude at least one of filter-changing-cycle information of the handycleaner, filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the handy cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the handy cleaner, dust-canister information of the robotcleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the handy cleaner, andbattery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner. The chargingdevice may include a processor connected electrically to the first andsecond chargers, wherein the processor may preferentially set chargingof the handy cleaner prior to the robot cleaner, when the handy cleanerand the robot cleaner are incompletely charged.

The charging device may include a processor connected electrically tothe communication line, wherein the processor may analyze a complexpattern of the handy cleaner and the robot cleaner, and provide cleaninginformation to a user according to the analyzed complex pattern.

The cleaning information may include at least one of actuation-timeinformation of the handy cleaner, actuation-time information of therobot cleaner, information on time elapsing from a previous actuationtime of the handy cleaner, information on time elapsing from a previousactuation time of the robot cleaner, information on a recently cleanedregion, and information on a recently uncleaned region.

The charging device may include a receiver configured to receive asignal from a user; and a processor configured to provide deviceinformation to the user in the case of receiving the signal from theuser, wherein the device information may include at least one offilter-changing-cycle information of the handy cleaner,filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the handy cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the handy cleaner, dust-canister information of the robotcleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the handy cleaner, andbattery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner.

The charging device may include a display device configured to displaythe device information. The charging device may include a speakerconfigured to instruct the device information by voice.

In an aspect, a charging device for charging a wireless handy cleanerand a robot cleaner may include a first charger including a firstcharging terminal connected to a charging terminal of the handy cleaner,and a detector configured to detect an electric connection between thehandy cleaner and the first charging terminal; a second chargerincluding a second charging terminal connected to a charging terminal ofthe robot cleaner, and a second transceiver configured to transmit andreceive information to and from the robot cleaner; and a communicationline configured to electrically connect the first charger and the secondtransceiver to each other.

Therefore, the charging device cannot only charge the handy cleaner andthe robot cleaner simultaneously but also can provide information to thehandy cleaner and the robot cleaner. The charging device may include aprocessor connected electrically to the communication line, wherein theprocessor may supply an actuation signal to the second transceiver so asto actuate the robot cleaner, when the handy cleaner is separated fromthe first charger.

The processor may supply a return signal to the second transceiver so asto return the robot cleaner to an original position thereof, when thecharging terminal of the handy cleaner and the first charging terminalare electrically connected to each other.

The processor may provide device information to a user, when thecharging terminal of the handy cleaner and the first charging terminalare electrically connected to each other, and the device information mayinclude at least one of filter-changing-cycle information of the handycleaner, filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the handy cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the handy cleaner, dust-canister information of the robotcleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the handy cleaner, andbattery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner. The chargingdevice may include a processor connected electrically to the first andsecond chargers, wherein the processor may preferentially set chargingof the handy cleaner prior to the robot cleaner, when the handy cleanerand the robot cleaner are incompletely charged. The charging device mayinclude a processor connected electrically to the communication line,wherein the processor may analyze a complex pattern of the handy cleanerand the robot cleaner, and provide cleaning information to a useraccording to the analyzed complex pattern.

The cleaning information may include at least one of actuation-timeinformation of the handy cleaner, actuation-time information of therobot cleaner, information on time elapsing from a previous actuationtime of the handy cleaner, information on time elapsing from a previousactuation time of the robot cleaner, information on a recently cleanedregion, and information on a recently uncleaned region.

The charging device may include a receiver configured to receive asignal from a user; and a processor configured to provide deviceinformation to the user in the case of receiving the signal from theuser, wherein the device information may include at least one offilter-changing-cycle information of the handy cleaner,filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the handy cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the handy cleaner, dust-canister information of the robotcleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the handy cleaner, andbattery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner.

The present discloser can provide a charging device that can charge ahandy cleaner and a robot cleaner simultaneously and also can transmitand receive information to and from the handy cleaner and the robotcleaner.

In certain implementations, a charging device for charging a manualcleaner and a robot cleaner comprises: a first charger comprising afirst charging terminal configured to charge the manual cleaner when themanual cleaner is coupled to the charging device, and a firsttransceiver configured to exchange information with the manual cleaner;a second charger comprising a second charging terminal configured tocharge the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is coupled to thecharging device, and a second transceiver configured to exchangeinformation with the robot cleaner; and a communication line configuredto connect the first transceiver and the second transceiver.

The charging device may further comprise: a processor, wherein theprocessor manages the second transceiver to supply an actuation signalto actuate the robot cleaner when the manual cleaner is separated fromthe first charger. The first transceiver may receive positioninformation from the manual cleaner when the manual cleaner is separatedfrom the first charger, and the actuation signal may cause the robotcleaner to be actuated in an area corresponding to the positioninformation from the manual cleaner.

The first transceiver may receive position information from the manualcleaner when the manual cleaner is separated from the first charger, andthe actuation signal may cause the robot cleaner to be actuated in afirst area that differs from a second area corresponding to the positioninformation from the manual cleaner. The processor may manage the secondtransceiver to supply a return signal that causes the robot cleaner toreturn to the charging device when the first charging terminal ischarging the manual cleaner.

The charging device may further comprise: a processor that providesdevice information to a user when the first charging terminal ischarging the manual cleaner, wherein the device information includes atleast one of: filter-changing-cycle information of the manual cleaner,filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the manual cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the manual cleaner, dust-canister information of therobot cleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the manualcleaner, or battery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner.The charging device may further comprise: a processor, wherein theprocessor manages the first charger and the second charger such that thefirst charging terminal charges the manual cleaner before the secondcharging terminal charges the robot cleaner, when the manual cleaner andthe robot cleaner are coupled to the charging device and areincompletely charged.

The charging device may further comprise: a processor, wherein theprocessor analyzes location and cleaning function information of themanual cleaner and the robot cleaner, and provides cleaning informationto a user according to the analyzed location and cleaning functioninformation. The cleaning information may include at least one of:actuation-time information of the manual cleaner, actuation-timeinformation of the robot cleaner, information on time elapsing from aprevious actuation time of the manual cleaner, information on timeelapsing from a previous actuation time of the robot cleaner,information on a region cleaned during a first time period, orinformation on a region that is not cleaned during a second time period.

The charging device may further comprise: a receiver configured toreceive a signal from a user; and a processor configured to providedevice information to the user based on the signal from the user,wherein the device information may include at least one of:filter-changing-cycle information of the manual cleaner,filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the manual cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the manual cleaner, dust-canister information of therobot cleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the manualcleaner, or battery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner.

The charging device may further comprise a display configured to outputvisual content associated with the device information. The chargingdevice may further comprise a speaker configured to output audio contentassociated with the device information.

In certain implementations, a charging device for charging a manualcleaner and a robot cleaner may comprise: a first charger comprising afirst charging terminal configured to charge the manual cleaner when themanual cleaner is coupled to the charging device, and a sensorconfigured to detect an electrical connection between the manual cleanerand the first charging terminal; a second charger comprising a secondcharging terminal configured to charge the robot cleaner when the robotcleaner is coupled to the charging device, and a transceiver configuredto exchange information with the robot cleaner; and a communication lineconfigured to connect the first charger and the second charger.

The charging device may further comprise: a processor, wherein theprocessor manages the transceiver to output an actuation signal toactuate the robot cleaner when detector of the first charger senses thatthe manual cleaner is separated from the first charger. The processormay manage the transceiver to output a return signal cause the robotcleaner return to the charging device when the detector senses theelectrical connection between the manual cleaner and the first chargingterminal.

The processor may provide device information to a user, when the manualcleaner and the first charging terminal are electrically connected toeach other, and

the device information includes at least one of: filter-changing-cycleinformation of the manual cleaner, filter-changing-cycle information ofthe robot cleaner, remaining-battery-power information of the manualcleaner, remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner,dust-canister information of the manual cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the robot cleaner, battery-replacement-cycle informationof the manual cleaner, or battery-replacement-cycle information of therobot cleaner. The charging device may further comprise: a processor,wherein the processor manages the first charger and the second chargersuch that the first charging terminal charges the manual cleaner beforethe second charging terminal charges the robot cleaner, when the manualcleaner and the robot cleaner are coupled to the charging device and areincompletely charged.

The charging device may further comprise: a processor, wherein theprocessor analyzes location and cleaning function information of themanual cleaner and the robot cleaner, and provides cleaning informationto a user according to the analyzed location and cleaning functioninformation. The cleaning information may include at least one of:actuation-time information of the manual cleaner, actuation-timeinformation of the robot cleaner, information on time elapsing from aprevious actuation time of the manual cleaner, information on timeelapsing from a previous actuation time of the robot cleaner,information on a region cleaned during a first time period, orinformation on a region that is not cleaned during a second time period.

The charging device may further comprise: a receiver configured toreceive a signal from a user; and a processor configured to providedevice information to the user based on the signal from the user,wherein the device information includes at least one of:filter-changing-cycle information of the manual cleaner,filter-changing-cycle information of the robot cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the manual cleaner,remaining-battery-power information of the robot cleaner, dust-canisterinformation of the manual cleaner, dust-canister information of therobot cleaner, battery-replacement-cycle information of the manualcleaner, or battery-replacement-cycle information of the robot cleaner.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to asbeing “on” another element or layer, the element or layer can bedirectly on another element or layer or intervening elements or layers.In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on”another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layerspresent. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third,etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components,regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions,layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These termsare only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer orsection from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element,component, region, layer or section could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the present invention.

Spatially relative terms, such as “lower”, “upper” and the like, may beused herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of oneelement or feature to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated inthe figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms areintended to encompass different orientations of the device in use oroperation, in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Forexample, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements describedas “lower” relative to other elements or features would then be oriented“upper” relative to the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplaryterm “lower” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. Thedevice may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at otherorientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used hereininterpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

Embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference tocross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations ofidealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the disclosure.As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result,for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to beexpected. Thus, embodiments of the disclosure should not be construed aslimited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but areto include deviations in shapes that result, for example, frommanufacturing.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will befurther understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly useddictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Theappearances of such phrases in various places in the specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic is described inconnection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within thepurview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, orcharacteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number ofillustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerousother modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled inthe art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles ofthis disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modificationsare possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subjectcombination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawingsand the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications inthe component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also beapparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A charging device for charging a manual cleanerand a robot cleaner, the charging device comprising: a first chargercomprising a first charging terminal configured to charge the manualcleaner when the manual cleaner is coupled to the charging device, and afirst transceiver configured to exchange information with the manualcleaner; a second charger comprising a second charging terminalconfigured to charge the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is coupledto the charging device, and a second transceiver configured to exchangeinformation with the robot cleaner; and a communication line configuredto connect the first transceiver and the second transceiver.
 2. Acharging device for charging a manual cleaner and a robot cleaner, thecharging device comprising: a first charger comprising a first chargingterminal configured to charge the manual cleaner when the manual cleaneris coupled to the charging device, and a sensor configured to detect anelectrical connection between the manual cleaner and the first chargingterminal; a second charger comprising a second charging terminalconfigured to charge the robot cleaner when the robot cleaner is coupledto the charging device, and a transceiver configured to exchangeinformation with the robot cleaner; and a communication line configuredto connect the first charger and the transceiver.